Vexen's Escort
by littlen00bgyn
Summary: [AU] Introverted Vexen is introduced to flamboyant escort Marluxia.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE: MEET AWKWARD**

"I don't want to be here," said the pale-skinned pharmacist flatly. "Just because you're friends with the bouncer-"

Zexion wasn't having it. "Trust me. You're going to love this party."

"Except that coming from you, 'trust me' usually seems to translate into 'fuck you.'"

Zexion turned away, hiding a smirk beneath his steel-blue hair. "Not tonight, dear. I have someone else in mind for you."

Vexen groaned audibly. "What are you plotting this time?"

"Oh, you'll see."

At that moment, in walked Zexion's "plan."

Marluxia wasn't a huge fan of being called out to parties, a working boy, he was but parties risked the chance of business and his social life seeping into one another. But the money was good. Very good. So he had decided to go, strutting over to the man who had hired him and the unpleasant looking blond he stood with. He flashed a smile in greeting.

The unpleasant blond smiled back sarcastically.

"Right on time," Zexion complimented. "Have you met my friend Vexen?"

Vexen rolled his eyes.

Marluxia waved to the shortstuff who'd hired him, quickly checking himself in the closest reflective surface - yes, the glitter swept over his cheekbones was still in check and his mascara wasn't stuck together - before strutting over to the pair. In truth, he didn't usually accept jobs that involved going to parties; the risk of business and pleasure mixing was too great. But the money for this one was good. Very good.

Mascara? _Glitter_?! Was Zexion seriously expecting Vexen to make friends with this person? Never great at controlling his facial expressions, Vexen couldn't prevent himself from sneering.

"We most certainly have not met," he huffed. "I make a point not to befriend people with sparkles in their skin."

"He's as charming as you said he was." Marluxia said, trying out his smile on the foul-tempered blond. He raised one finger, making sure to have the blond's attention as he did so, and rubbed it over his cheek, wiping away a line of glitter and smiling again. "The glitter is easily remedied. I'm Marluxia, nice to meetcha."

Vexen forced a smile, though it still came off sarcastic. "Vexen," he said, his voice quirking oddly as he said his own name. A flush crept across his pale cheeks. He hated it when his voice did that. "I'm a pharmacist and my roommate dragged me to this party," he said curtly, wishing to make it known that this party was not his first choice of places to be this evening.

"Well, you certainly don't seem like the type to come willingly." Marluxia agreed. He decided not to mention his own profession; he just laid a hand on Vexen's shoulder and gently nudged him. "Buy me a drink."

Vexen pursed his lips. "And why would I do that?" he asked. He didn't much like people waltzing up to him and asking for favours.

Marluxia smiled a little, batting his long, curling lashes as he nudged Vexen again in the direction of the bar. "Because you want to."

Vexen didn't know about that, but he did know he himself could use a drink. "Fine," he relented, "but I hope you aren't expecting me to buy you anything else."

"We'll see about that." Marluxia grinned, looping his arm through Vexen and ignoring any displeasure the blond showed him. He was just doing his job.

Vexen pulled his arm away. "What do you think you're doing?" he gasped.

"I'm doing you a favor." Marluxia replied, snatching Vexen's arm back and boldly nestling against his shoulder. "Unless you want someone else draping themselves all over you."

"I don't think anyone could possibly be worse," said Vexen curtly, pulling away.

"Tut tut, Vexen," said Zexion, amused. "Is that any way to talk to your new friend?"

"I never agreed to be friends with this... this person!" spat Vexen, stalking off in a huff. He went to get the drinks anyway, against his better judgment

Marluxia laughed, a little sharply, flicking a strand of pink from his face. "Oh, how mean. You don't even know me."

"Your hair is pink, you wear glitter, and you ask strange men to buy you drinks," said Vexen in a final tone of voice; in his opinion, that was all he needed to know. He signaled to the bartender and ordered two Cosmos

"Surface stuff." Marluxia pouted, sweeping his fingers across his glittered cheeks again. "For all you know I could be one of the greatest minds in existence."

That gave Vexen pause. He was being rather shallow and superficial, wasn't he? But he was after all an intellectual and preferred to look the part. He took out his cell phone and handed it to Marluxia. "If I ever need to know when to giggle at a party, I'll call you."

"Ha ha." Marluxia said dryly. There was a pause as he debated whether or not he should give this man his number, or simply put in a fake. This was business, after all. With an odd jump from his heart, Marluxia put in his own number, and handed the phone back, grabbing his drink.

Vexen smirked. It looked like he wasn't going to get told off for buying his new friend such a girly drink. "You know why I'm here," he said, somewhat curious. "And you?"

Marluxia shrugged, sipped his drink and smiled up at Vexen. "The same reason why any twenty three year old comes to a party, silly." He replied.

"I wouldn't know," said Vexen. "I was in grad school at 23."

"You look like the type." Marluxia laughed softly. "Bet you spent every Saturday night holed up in your room doing work that wasn't due for another month."

"Of course not," said Vexen, looking scandalised. "I did every assignment on the day it was assigned, if I could help it."

Marluxia laughed again, louder now, and couldn't help his grin. "Oh, oh dear. Tell me then, what _did_ you do with your Saturdays?"

"How would you expect me to know something like that? The days of the week all bled together for me," snapped Vexen.

Marluxia took a long sip of his drink, trying not to choke as he laughed. "Wow. You must never have gotten laid." Marluxia mused aloud.

Vexen was tempted to slap the glittering pinket, but chose to glare at him sullenly instead. "That's not the kind of thing I discuss with strangers, thank you," he said tartly.

Marluxia merely smiled, finding the answer he wanted in Vexen's tone. "School must have sucked for you." he grinned.

"Not at all," said Vexen, taking a sip of his Cosmo. "I was an excellent student and I took pride in my academics."

"But nobody ever looked at you unless they were copying the answers off you." Marluxia smiled, bringing a hand up to play in his hair. "Right?"

"The first time someone tried to copy my answers, which was in algebra, I wrote 42 as the answer for every question, then erased it and filled in the right answer when they gave up," said Vexen. "But otherwise, you are correct. I was mostly invisible when my classmates found out that I was in fact a male, despite what the length of my hair might say otherwise. Speaking of which, how do you generally break the news?" he asked sarcastically.

"I let them find out for themselves." Marluxia grinned, draining the last of his drink. "Their expressions are priceless."

Vexen allowed a non-sarcastic smile. "I do hope you take pictures," he said.

"I will next time, for you." Marluxia smiled, rather than grinned, signalling for the bartender to bring another drink.

Hmm, thought Vexen. Maybe letting Zexion force him to befriend this guy wasn't such a bad idea after all. "Cheers," he said. Zexion smirked in triumph, then went to the door to make out with the bouncer. Vexen was right: He _was_ good friends with him.

"Cheers." Marluxia raised his glass a little, taking a mouthful. "So, are we just gonna stand around making awkward chit chat, or do something fun?"

"What kind of 'fun' do you suggest?" asked Vexen dryly.

Marluxia shrugged. "Would it be a waste of time if I asked you what you like to do for fun?"

"I honestly don't think you'd be interested," said Vexen, "but just so you know, it has nothing to do with alphabetising post-it notes or rearranging sock drawers."

Marluxia raised his eyebrows, but swallowed his comment down with a gulp of his drink. "Well- do you dance?"

Vexen blushed slightly. "Y-yes," he said

Marluxia pulled a face. "But you don't like to?" he guessed.

"No, I do," he said, "But I don't think the kind of dancing I have in mind is the kind of dancing you have in mind."

Marluxia grinned, deciding Vexen was probably right. "Well... I have something in mind. Wanna leave?"

Vexen tipped back the rest of his drink. Might as well get his money's worth. "Alright," he said boldly. Marluxia followed suit, shaking off the slight dizziness chugging his entire drink bought on, he caught Vexen's hand and headed for the door. Vexen pulled his hand away. He wasn't quite comfortable with holding hands just yet. In fact, any sort of physical contact with another person tended to make him deeply uncomfortable. "Is our destination a surprise?" he asked suspiciously

"Yes." Marluxia beamed, ignoring the fact that Vexen dropped his hand. He walked close enough that his knuckles grazed Vexen's. Vexen again withdrew his hand. "Why do you keep trying to touch me?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I live off of physical contact." Marluxia said with an expression of dead seriousness, that he held for all of three seconds. "Why won't you let me touch you?"

"Because we just met and I think you should have a little more respect for other peoples' personal bubbles," said Vexen, not buying the bit about him living off of physical contact. What was he, an incubus?

Marluxia looked as though he was truly taking into account what Vexen had said, before he stepped in front of the blond, threw his arms around Vexen's neck and clamped his lips onto Vexen's. "You are very boring." He said as he stepped back, smiling a little as he licked his own lips.

Vexen flinched away. "Are you insane? You just sexually harrassed me in a public place!" he shouted.

"I kissed you. It's not like I shoved my hands down your pants." Marluxia didn't even bat an eyelash as he said this, he just watched Vexen with a glint of curiosity. "Chill out."

"Chill out?" Vexen repeated, a trace of humour in his voice as he regarded Marluxia.

"Yes, chill out. I'm 23, I can still get away with it." Marluxia said, slightly huffy in tone. Vexen smiled as he grabbed Marluxia's hand, manipulating the temperature to a much colder degree.

"Oh." The laughter broke out of Marluxia in his surprise at the contact and temperature of Vexen's hand. "Hey, you're touching me. Does that mean you forgive me?"

Vexen didn't answer but let the coldness slowly spread to Marluxia's own hand. Marluxia smiled a little, squeezing the hand in his as he started to drag Vexen onwards. "Come on, let's keep walking."

Vexen smiled to himself as he continued to lower the temperature of both his hand and Marluxia's. Soon the cold would spread up Marluxia's arm as well.

After a while, Marluxia's arm was indeed thoroughly numb. Which was weird. It wasn't a cold night. He glanced down at his hand in Vexen's, as if it would explain something that he was missing. It was hard to move his fingers. "My arm's freezing." he said, sounding rightfully shocked. Vexen withdrew his hand and the cold immediately drained away. Frowning, Marluxia stepped back from Vexen, still staring at his hand. "How... How did you do that?"

"Simply put, I'm a freak," said Vexen, shrugging.

For what seemed to be long enough, Marluxia pretended to think that over, then he grinned at Vexen. "That is so cool!"

Vexen blinked. He wasn't accustomed to this reaction. "Yes, well, I've used it to fend off unwanted advances in the past. I think we might be friends, so I didn't freeze your arm as quickly as I could have."

"Oh, how... Nice of you." Marluxia laughed a little, picking up Vexen's hand and inspecting it. Vexen pulled his hand away reflexively.

Pouting, Marluxia took his hand again. "So, what exactly can you do?" he asked, tone dripping with curiosity.

Vexen pulled his hand away again, looking annoyed. "I manipulate the temperature around certain areas of my skin and whatever comes in contact with it. I used to be terrible at controlling it but I've had forty-three years of practice."

"Is that why you won't let people touch you?" Marluxia didn't try again for his hand, just fiddled with the tips of his own fingers.

"No, the freezing isn't involuntary anymore. I don't let people touch me because I don't like to be touched," said Vexen. "It's very... invasive, and I consider myself a private person."

"So what would make you allow me to touch you?" Marluxia asked, innocently enough as he slowly started pacing around Vexen.

Vexen ignored the question and the pacing. "You said you wanted to go somewhere else," he reminded Marluxia

Marluxia shrugged, still pacing. "I had nowhere in mind. I was just gonna keep walking until I found something to do."

Vexen shook his head disbelievingly. "Do you mean to say you have no direction? No ambition? Nothing you actually had in mind for tonight?"

"Relax, you sound like my mom when I told her I wasn't going to college." Marluxia waved a dismissing hand at Vexen. "Besides-" He pulled out his phone, checking the screen for the time. "-I have to go soon."

"To an actual place or do you plan to sleep on the street?" snarked Vexen.

"I have a very high paying job, thank you very much, and a nice apartment." Marluxia huffed back. "I have to turn in because my time's up, that's all."

"Let me guess," said Vexen, still in sarcasm mode. "You're a lawyer, Zexion is suing somebody for intellectual property theft, and paid an extra hundred dollars if you'd spend an hour with his socially inept schizoid mutant roommate."

"Uh, not quite." Marluxia laughed sheepishly. "Do I look old enough and boring enough to be a lawyer?"

"Paralegal maybe, through family connections," shrugged Vexen, trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably. "But Zexion did pay you to spend time with me. I suspected as much."

Marluxia gnawed on his lower lip for a moment, before shaking off the odd feeling that writhed in his stomach- he had nothing to be ashamed of or guilty about. "Yeah, well. Now I have to go. You have my number, if you feel the need to see me again."

Vexen drew back his hand and smacked Marluxia as hard as he could across the face before turning around and walking back into the club. Marluxia was stunned, and he stood holding his cheek for a long time, going from being shamed and then angry. But no, he wouldn't follow Vexen, he would just ask for some extra cash from Zexion and never see Vexen again. Simple. He stalked off, ready to collapse into bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO: APOLOGY**

Zexion checked his watch. Oh, shit. He'd definitely seen Vexen and Marluxia leave the club together, and if he knew Vexen, he'd found out Marluxia's interest had a time limit and lost his temper. "Got to go," he muttered to the bouncer. "Meet me in my room after the party." He caught Vexen just as he was coming in. "I assumed you'd either blow him off or blow him within an hour," he said by way of explanation.

"You hired a call boy for me?" hissed Vexen. Then he decided he didn't want to talk about it. "Never mind. I'm renting a room at the Sheraton. Have fun with your boyfriend."

Zexion tried not to let it bother him, but clearly Lexaeus sensed that something was wrong. "You're nowhere near as responsive as usual," he commented. Zexion couldn't bring himself to admit that it was because of his failed attempt to show Vexen a good time for once. "Let's just go to sleep," he said after a moment.

The next morning, Vexen awoke alone in his hotel room feeling like the biggest loser on the planet. Marluxia had brought several things to the surface last night that he really didn't want to face. It wasn't that Vexen had been playing hard to get, but he did genuinely like the endearing, frustrating young man and was disappointed to learn that Marluxia had only talked to him because Zexion had paid him to. He reached for his planner. 12:00, botany lecture at the public garden by the library, it said. Well, that ought to take his mind off of things for the time being, he thought, momentarily cheered as he got dressed.

Marluxia was never really sure what to do with his mornings. He got bored too easily to get a hobby, and he'd rented almost every movie at the rental store, so he walked. He'd gotten up late that morning, trying to sleep off the events of the night before- although the bruise on his cheek was a charming reminder- and now it was midday, and Marluxia had reached the public gardens.

Vexen walked around the garden, trying to find where the lecture was being held, when he saw an unexpected mop of pink hair. "I should apologise for hitting him," he said to himself, and walked over to Marluxia to do so.

Marluxia spotted Vexen at the same time Vexen spotted him, and he was extremely tempted to just turn around and walk away, but he had quite a bit of pride, and words to say to the blond, so he stopped walking and just waited for Vexen to reach him.

Vexen slowly raised a cupped hand to Marluxia's cheek, cooling the bruise as a gesture of goodwill. "I'm sorry for hitting you last night. It's not something I normally do, but I would have appreciated it if you had been up front with me last night about the fact that you only had a certain amount of time to talk."

Marluxia jerked away from the hand, refusing to thank him for soothing the injury. Instead, he scowled deeply, pointing at the damaged cheek. "This is costing me work. 'Sorry' ain't gonna cut it." Marluxia snapped.

"Well how would you like a matching set?" Vexen snapped back, feeling his temper flare up.

"Touch me again and I'll have you arrested." Marluxia had his cellphone out already, thumbing the keypad in warning. "Now go away."

Vexen gave a wild little laugh. "They won't succeed in arresting me," he said, his voice edging on hysteria. He didn't take rejection well. "And I'm sure they'll be interested to hear about you. If I'm correct in guessing, you're an escort. Isn't that sort of profession illegal?"

Marluxia felt his face flare red- he wasn't used to being laughed at. He stepped back a little, trying to keep his cool. Vexen was right, he faced the risk of getting in trouble too. "What do you want, anyways?"

Vexen pulled his wallet out and handed Marluxia a handful of hundreds. He'd withdrawn it from his savings last night after a few shots. "If you're upset about your temporary loss of clients, take this. I came over to you to apologise. You may not like to believe it, but I actually enjoyed talking to you. The fact that you were paid doesn't change the fact that you made charming company."

Marluxia stared at the wad of bills in his hands- it was tempting to just take it and go, but at the same time, he didn't want Vexen's money. Money wasn't even a problem, work or no. He shoved it back at the blond. "I don't want your money." he said quietly.

Vexen closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, trying to mask how hurt he was. "Then why bitch at me about losing work?" he bit out.

"Because you fucking hit me. I was- I am angry at you!" Marluxia snapped, as if it should've been obvious.

"I already apologised twice," snarled Vexen, "and what did you expect, that I'd appreciate being chatted up, hit on, and ditched when your hour was up, without being told what the hell was going on?" Without waiting for a response, Vexen dropped the money and ran behind the nearest shrub to break down into tears; he hated crying in front of other people.

Marluxia was glad to be left alone to deal with his own tears that stung his eyes. He crouched down, snatching up the money and shoving it in his pockets. He'd give it to a homeless or something later. "Jerk!" he yelled out in Vexen's general direction, but he wouldn't follow him. Marluxia needed to sit down, not get more worked up. He found a bench and collapsed.

Unfortunately, the nearest shrub had been within earshot of Marluxia's outburst. Vexen angrily wiped his eyes dry and followed the footprints in the dirt to Marluxia's bench. "You're one to talk," he said, but he kept his voice quiet, almost gentle. He was still upset, though. "The first person besides my roommate, his boyfriend, or my boss to actually talk to me for more than ten minutes and I find out he's a call boy. Of course I assumed it was all about the money when you just left." He tentatively reached out a hand to Marluxia.

"Maybe if your friend wasn't such a cheapskate..." Marluxia started, but he was almost whispering by the time he finished. He leaned away from the hand a little, eyes cast down.

Vexen pulled his hand back as if he'd been shocked. In a way, he had been. He was foolish to have expected Marluxia to actually show some semblance of humanity. He brushed a dusting of snowflakes impatiently off his shoulders. Wait, snowflakes? When had it begun to snow? Vexen looked up to see little swirls of snowflakes circling the bench. The clouds were gray, but didn't cover the sky and it was only snowing around the bench. Well dandy. Vexen had lost control of his power again. He watched in dismay as icicles formed on the bench but continued to sulk, knowing the rumination would only worsen the weather.

Marluxia frowned at the snowflake that landed on his hand and melted away. He glanced up, the flakes catching in his hair and clinging to his eyelashes. "I love the snow." he said, and with the single statement, something shifted in him a little. He wasn't so angry. "You're doing this, yeah?"

Vexen was tempted to ignore Marluxia or ask a snide question about how long he had to talk this time, but instead he just nodded, struggling to keep from crying again. The harder he tried, the faster the snow and icicles came. If he didn't regain control of himself soon, it'd probably start hailing.

Marluxia watched the flakes fall in silence, his breath appearing as white clouds in front of his pale lips. He curled his arms around himself. "You're gonna freeze me to death, Vexen."

"Maybe I should," said Vexen, his voice coming out distant and cold as their personal winter.

Marluxia's face darkened a little, and he glanced away from the blond, focusing on the snow piling around the bench and his feet. "Go away if you're going to be like that."

The snow turned to hail, just as Vexen had known it would, but this time he focused and took great pleasure in pelting Marluxia with hailstones. If he wanted to be an insensitive bastard, fine.

Marluxia yelped, launching off of the park bench in an attempt to get out of the hail, cursing Vexen the entire time.

Vexen seemed to come to himself. The hail turned back into a heavy snow, which gradually lightened. "Marluxia," he rasped.

Marluxia was deep into the procedure of dusting all of the snow out of his hair and off of his clothes, ignoring the blond as he rasped his name. He just wanted to go.

Vexen stood up and walked over to Marluxia, careful to keep the snow off the younger man. "Marluxia," he said, trying to force himself to calm down. "I wanted to apologise for hitting you. It wasn't right. But the first person to take an interest in me was someone my roommate paid. You kissed me last night. Were you just trying to get me into bed before your time was up?"

"No." Marluxia glanced at Vexen, then away again, trying to tame his hair which had gone feral with the melted snow. "No I wasn't just trying to get you into bed. Intially, that was the plan, but... But I liked talking to you, I wanted to know what your damages were. And stuff." he finished awkwardly.

Vexen smiled slightly. The snow cleared and the temperature warmed. "I liked talking to you as well. In fact, out of everyone Zexion's tried to set me up with, you were by far the most interesting company. Now, if I'm not mistaken, there is a botany lecture somewhere in this garden. I'd be honoured if you would attend it with me."

"A lecture?" He paused to pull a hairtie off of his wrist and twist his hair up into a messy tail. "It's not really my kinda thing, Vexen, to be honest."

Vexen looked away. He'd tried. "Well, I'll see you around, then," he said. "Maybe at something that you prefer."

Marluxia caught Vexen's arm, looking thoughtful for a second. "Don't forget, you still have my number saved to your phone. It's my private number. Call me if you wanna talk."

Vexen looked at Marluxia, then toward the lecture, then back at Marluxia. "I think I'll skip the lecture just this once," he said. "Botany was never my favourite field of science. Let's do something you enjoy. Besides sex," he was hasty to add.

Marluxia frowned for only a moment at Vexen. "It's my job, not my life. I would like to make that clear now." He said sternly, then his face softened. "Now buy me lunch."

Vexen was tempted to tell Marluxia to go fuck himself for that last one, then laughed. "What's in it for me besides your wonderful company?" he asked, being only slightly sarcastic

"Isn't that enough?" Marluxia smiled, looking up at Vexen through his thick lashes, batting them just a little. Then he cracked a grin and faux-punched Vexen's arm. "Don't be a cheapskate."

"Why, can't you afford lunch?" asked Vexen, as he started walking toward his apartment. He lived downtown, so he knew where all the good restaurants were

"I could probably buy whichever restaurant you pick," Marluxia smirked, trailing after Vexen. "But I don't want to."

Vexen stopped in his tracks and turned around, his eyes bugging out. "...Then... if you don't need the money, why choose sex as a career? Looking for true lust?"

Marluxia shrugged. "Why not? It's easy, I'm good at it, the money is great. I like it." it was that simple. Marluxia made a gesture for Vexen to keep walking.

Vexen frowned slightly but continued walking. He wasn't seriously considering getting involved with Marluxia, was he? A person who took sex for granted... that was the real reason Vexen was a virgin. Cliché though it was, he was waiting for the right person. He didn't understand people who routinely had one-night stands. And another thing. If Marluxia could afford lunch, why make Vexen pay for it?

"So, what are we having for lunch?" Marluxia asked, walking behind Vexen and trying to decide if he would be able to stand for more than a minute if Marluxia jumped on him demanding a piggyback ride.

"Sushi," said Vexen. "I don't much like the taste of fish, so I'll be having cucumber and avocado. Order what you like." He walked into the Japanese restaurant, thinking to himself that he'd strangle Marluxia if he ordered the most expensive thing on the menu.

Unfortunately for Vexen, Marluxia ate like a horse and picked almost one of each type of sushi on the menu, barely batting an eyelash at the price of it all at the end. Vexen flinched when he saw the bill. "Marluxia, you may be rich, but I don't live with Zexion because I enjoy his company. I live with him because I can't afford the rent on my own. I'd like to be friends, but I can't if I'm going to have to buy everything for you. I have a savings account, but I only withdraw money for emergencies."

"Should've thought it over before you threw all this at me, then." Marluxia said as he pulled out the wad of bills Vexen had tossed at him in the park earlier. "Do you want me to pay?"

Vexen averted his eyes. "Let's split the bill, and ... well, that _was_ an emergency."

"It was guilt." Marluxia corrected him, counting out half the bill from the wad of money, then tucked what was left back into his pocket.

"Well, yes," Vexen conceded, "but I like you. I didn't want you to hate me," he said childishly. He pulled out his wallet and counted out his half plus a small tip.

"You paid me to make yourself feel better; if anything it got us off on the wrong foot." Marluxia smiled, leaning back in his seat. "So now what?"

Vexen shook his head, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. He was clueless when it came to any sort of relationship, especially with people like Marluxia who seemed to defy everything he was brought up to believe.

"How strong are you, Vexen?" Marluxia asked, absently twirling a chopstick in his fingers.

"Stronger than I look. Why?"

Marluxia smiled, "No reason." he said, standing up. "Let's go."

Vexen stood up as well and walked out, giving a polite nod to the restaurant staff as he did. "What do you want to do now?" he asked. "And please don't tell me that it involves me paying for it."

"I'm not a money pit, geez." Marluxia feigned a huff, gently shoving Vexen's shoulder. "But I don't know what I want to do. What do people usually do with their day?"

"I don't know. If you haven't noticed, I'm not a good example of a normal person." He thought for a moment. "We could go to the park and feed the ducks," he suggested lamely. "Or we could go back to my place and watch movies or something."

"Well. I've seen almost every movie on the planet, but I'll give it a go." Marluxia nodded to himself, looping his arm around Vexen's. "Take me to your place~."

When they got to Vexen's apartment, there was a hoodie hung on the door. Vexen sighed but ignored it and unlocked the door anyway. "My roommate and his boyfriend are having sex," he announced as he swung the door open and quickly shuffled off to his room, hoping Marluxia would follow.

Naturally, Marluxia didn't follow Vexen to his room. He thoroughly inspected each room- asides from Vexen's and his flatmate's- and most drawer and cupboard contents before he met Vexen in his room. "It's a nice place."

Vexen nodded, blushing furiously that his roommate had been sleeping with his boyfriend in the living room. "And Zexion does his very best to defile it on a daily basis," he said.

Marluxia sniggered to himself, make himself comfortable on Vexen's bed after he'd had a look around. "Don't be such a prude."

Vexen knelt down to the bookcase underneath his TV, pulling out a few titles. Most of them were chick flicks, but there were a couple of gay pornos and some TV series box sets.

"Put on whatever you want to watch." Marluxia said, taking only small interest in the titles Vexen had.

Vexen chose Boy Culture, a film about a male escort who operated by word of mouth, had a secret crush on his roommate, and was quite a sardonic narrator. Once he'd popped the DVD in, skipped the previews, and put on the subtitles, he lay on the bed next to Marluxia and unconsciously nestled against him, enjoying his warmth.

Marluxia didn't mind the closeness of the blond, in fact he leaned into him a little and stifled a yawn as he settled to watch the flick. Vexen absentmindedly stroked Marluxia's hair as they watched the movie. Truthfully, Vexen had seen it many times before, but he always liked the ending. When it was over, he turned to Marluxia and murmured, "I don't really know what to do now. I've been trying to cook up some new pills but I doubt you'd be interested in that."

Marluxia had been dozing for the last few minutes of the movie, and started when Vexen suddenly spoke. "Oh, uhm, I could just go home. Let you do your work." He suggested, rubbing his eyes.

Vexen shook his head. "If you're sleepy, you can sleep here," he said. "Or I could follow you home. My place doesn't have much in the way of entertainment." Other than the giant closet off the side of his room, but no way was he going to let Marluxia see that.

"Neither does mine." Marluxia laughed a little, stretching out on the bed and pulling the tie out of his hair. "I would rather do something else than sleep." he added, winking and completely joking.

Vexen's heart skipped a beat and he froze, having no idea how to respond. After a moment he regained composure and gave Marluxia a small kiss on the cheek, then stood up and put on a CD. "We can dance," he suggested, half-joking

"You said the type of dance you did was one I wouldn't like." Marluxia reminded him, turning to lie on his stomach and watch Vexen.

"And how do you know I wasn't just saying that to avoid dancing with you at the club, hmm?" Vexen teased, taking Marluxia's waist in one hand and hand in the other, beginning a slow waltz

Marluxia laughed, stumbling a little with the steps as he struggled to get used to them. "Aren't you full of surprises?" he grinned.

Vexen shrugged. "I thought you wouldn't be into ballroom," he murmured. "Why do you doll yourself up with glitter, anyway?" he asked.

Marluxia looked as if he were seriously contemplating Vexen's question. "Well. I like make up, to be honest, and some clients like me to be girly." He shrugged, resting his cheek against Vexen's shoulder. "It's just part of the job."

Vexen felt his hand go up to stroke Marluxia's hair. He pulled it away as if he'd been shocked and put it back at the younger man's waist. "You're fascinating and infuriating," he said bluntly.

Marluxia laughed, shocked at just how loud the laugh was. He brought his arms up to wrap them around Vexen's neck, like he had the night before. "Why, I think that's almost a compliment, Vexen."

Vexen was uncomfortable with Marluxia draping himself on him- it was one matter to lightly touch the man's waist and clasp his hand as part of a dance, but this felt invasive. He pulled away and averted his eyes, ashamed at his own allergy to intimacy. "It's half a compliment," he said helpfully.

Marluxia pouted a little, sitting himself down on Vexen's bed when the blond stepped away from him. "I'll take the 'infuriating' part as the compliment."

Vexen sighed. "In that case, it's a whole compliment," he said, hugging himself.

"Should I go?" Marluxia asked, his head tilted as he watched the blond, appearing to be rather amused.

"No," said Vexen, a little too quickly.

Marluxia smiled again, a little secretive smile, as he slowly rose off the bed. He'd noticed how quickly Vexen had replied. He wasn't letting it go unnoticed. The pinket came to stand inches away from Vexen. "Why should I stay?"

Vexen took an instinctive step back. "Because if you leave, then I'll have to follow you," he said. "The only other person who talks to me is Zexion and... he's busy at the moment. I also happen to like talking to you." He'd gone back another step as he'd spoken and now he could feel his back pressing against the wall.

"You know, there are some things I can do with my mouth that are better than talking," Marluxia all but purred, stepping after Vexen until their chests met.

Vexen pressed himself against the wall, hating that he was so obviously aroused. "And how much would that cost me?" he asked, his voice squeaking.

Marluxia's face flashed with a scowl, then smoothed again, and he bought a hand up to play with Vexen's hair. "You can't get over my choice of career, can you?"

Vexen couldn't breathe. Marluxia was too close. "I-" he stuttered out. "I merely w-want to avoid any hidden f-fees." He didn't even bother trying to pull his head away. He knew he wouldn't be able to. He could feel himself growing harder- he'd erected already at Marluxia's offer and now he felt the definite urge to relieve himself.

Marluxia pursed his lips, leaning into Vexen and pressing his face into the blond's neck. He sighed, running his hands over his chest, before he stepped back from Vexen. "I think I should go. I wouldn't want to tarnish you."

Vexen held himself stiffly as Marluxia touched him, repelled by the skin-on-skin contact but attracted to Marluxia despite that. "Don't go," he whispered.

"Why not?" Marluxia asked, almost impatiently as he combed his hair with his fingers and glanced at his watch.

"...oh. I see." Vexen's eyes filled with tears that he was unwilling to shed and he clenched his fists at his sides, forcing himself to stay composed.

Marluxia frowned, "You can't be upset at me. You're the one who keeps asking me how much I'm gonna charge you." He said, sounding surprisingly calm for how angry he was.

Vexen was tempted to point out that Marluxia had asked him to buy him a drink and lunch and make a snark about adding to his expense report, but he really didn't want Marluxia to leave. "I was joking the last time," he whispered, his voice shaking.

"You didn't strike me as someone with a very good sense of humor, Vexen." Marluxia pointed out, but he was done. "I'm going home now, because I'm tired and have work soon. Call me if you want."

Vexen looked bleakly at Marluxia for a moment, and then the room was covered in icicles. _Not now_, he thought irritably. He was conflicted. He couldn't cry in front of Marluxia but if he held in the tears, the whole room would freeze and Marluxia wouldn't be able to leave. His eyes alighted on the closet door. He vaulted across the room, threw himself into the closet and sobbed, letting the tears flow and trying to stifle the noise.

It was awkward, but Marluxia needed to stick to his words. Ignoring the cold that stung his hands as he opened the door, he slipped out, bee-lining for the front door.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE: SALVATION**

When Vexen knew Marluxia was really gone, he cried himself to sleep in the closet. Zexion knew not to come in here. It was his private place. So he was left in physical peace for the time being. When he woke up, he sniffled, undressed, and found another outfit to wear. He was going back to that club tonight. And this time he'd almost look as though he belonged, in silver jeans and a faux-leopard-skin vest, with his hair pulled up into a bun and soft green jazz shoes instead of his white medical shoes. He finished off the ensemble with silver eyeshadow and a leopard-print cat collar with a green tag bearing his name. He was ready to go. At first he was self-conscious about wearing low-cut jeans and a midriff-baring vest, but quickly decided he didn't mind being objectified tonight.

Once at the club, after receiving the quizzical look from Lexaeus that he'd expected, he proceeded to order a glass of whiskey. As he'd learned when he was younger, drinking deadened alarm at being touched. Like with anyone, it also lowered his inhibitions. He didn't really expect to see Marluxia back here, and in case he didn't, he didn't want the night to be a complete waste.

Marluxia's working night was short, with one of his clients calling in sick and the other having to attend to urgent business right in the middle of their session, although he'd still paid full price. So Marluxia was home, and bored after a brief chat with his boss. An hour had dragged by before he'd decided to shower and go out, without make-up and with hair that was straightened with half-ass effort, so the ends still curled wildly. He wasn't planning on going anywhere in particular, but would later find himself at the club from the night before, simply because that's where his feet had taken him.

On his third or fourth glass, Vexen found himself draped across the lap of a man in his mid-forties with long salt-and-pepper hair, sporting a scarred cheek and an eyepatch. One of his hands was at Vexen's hip, worming its way into the silver jeans; the other was playing with Vexen's name tag. As for Vexen's own hands, one was holding a whiskey glass and the other was toying with the top button of his vest. He seemed perfectly at ease in the slightly older man's lap, head resting against his shoulder. Of course he was. He was drunk. He didn't see Marluxia enter and figured he hadn't shown, just as he'd half-expected. At least, he hadn't shown by the time the man- whose name he learned was Xigbar- had convinced Vexen to go into one of the back rooms with him. Giggling slightly as he struggled to stand, Vexen found the room was spinning. He stumbled back into the elder's lap.

"I think you may have to carry me," he slurred.

With an odd, drunken laugh Xigbar hoisted the blond whose name he'd forgotten again into his arms, momentarily grieving the fact that he didn't have a free hand to pick up his drink, before he staggered out into one of the back rooms. Once in the back room, Vexen collapsed onto the foldaway bed. The room was painted red and there were fluorescent pink lamps everywhere. The foldaway had a heat-activated vibrate function and Vexen gave a soft "oh!" of surprise when he felt it turn on. He raised his head and looked at Xigbar for instruction.

Xigbar fell onto the bed after Vexen, not quite over him. He reached over to start fumbling with the front of Vexen's pants. "These needa come off."

Vexen unsnapped his jeans and pushed them down. He was so thin that they went down with fair ease, and once they were at his knees he started fumbling with the buttons on his vest. Giggling drunkenly, he gave up and ripped the vest off.

Meanwhile, back in the main club, Zexion looked up from his book just in time to see Marluxia. He only came to these parties because his boyfriend was the bouncer and besides, he had nowhere else to be. He was surprised to see the pinket again. _That's three times in two days. _He smiled. This would be very interesting.

"Hey heartbreaker," he called, standing and making his way over to the pretty call boy. "If you're not here on business, my roommate got hammered and went in back with an older man. I'll bet you five Hunskys you can't get to him before he drops his V-card and convince him not to do it." He paused. "And believe me when I say it won't be easy. If he were lucid enough to tell up from down, I wouldn't be offering half that much. But then, you knew that."

Marluxia took the time to finish his gin and juice and ordering another before even regarding Zexion, although he was a little grateful to see a face he knew, even if it was his. "Vexen needs to loosen up; why don't I just leave him to it?" he asked with a delicate shrug.

Zexion paused, and then leaned in and said in a low voice, "Look, I know you don't need the money and I know you don't go in for that 'one true love' bullshit, but I knew you two clicked when I saw you enter our apartment. He never has guests, but he likes you. I knew when he stepped out of the house wearing that psychotically slutty outfit that something was up, I'm worried about him, and you're the only one I know who has a chance of getting through to him." As a last-ditch effort, he said, "I'll buy you a drink if you help me."

Marluxia seemed to contemplate that for a moment. "Most expensive drink on the list?" Marluxia asked with a bit of smirk. He ignored most of what Zexion had said, but he was always happy to get a free drink.

"Get to him before he does something stupid and you'll get free drinks for a week," Zexion promised. "Room 2, lock's broken. Go!"

"I'll hold you to that, shortstuff." Marluxia grinned as he picked his way to the back of the club. But what the hell was he supposed to do when he got there? He stared at the badly painted red door with the chipped '2' hanging on it, then pushed it open and slipped inside. "Alright boys, party's over."

Vexen, now completely naked, was stretched out on the vibrating foldaway. He was still conscious, but barely. The pleasant vibrations had made him very horny and he ached to be taken. Had he been sober, there was no way he'd have let it get this far, and a part of him was dimly aware of that. Sex was meant to be special between people who loved each other, not a drunken hookup with a stranger. His upbringing made him apprehensive, but the whiskey made him spiteful. _Fuck my parents, fuck Marluxia, fuck Zexion, and fuck everything else, I'm doing this!_ he thought. He looked up at Xigbar through half-lidded eyes.

"Well?" he asked. "What are you waiting for?" But just then, the door opened and he heard a familiar voice announce that the party was over.

"M-Marluxia?" the blond mumbled as he sat up, trying to blink away the haze. He got dizzy and ended up collapsing back into Xigbar's arms. He felt himself grow very, very warm. "I must be hallucinating."

"Sorry darling, but I'm real." Marluxia retorted, ignoring Xigbar's cursing off him has he walked over to the bed and caught the older man's wiry black hair in his grasp and pulled. "Get up, Vexen. You'll regret this if you don't."

Vexen narrowed his large green eyes. "You'll make me like you again and then you'll leave again, so why don't you just save us both the time and energy and leave now?" he slurred, reaching a hand up to stroke the scar on Xigbar's cheek.

Marluxia pulled Xigbar back when Vexen reached for him. The older man groaned and cursed. "Vexen, if I leave, it'll be with you in tow, even if I have to drag you by the hair. Now get up."

"I can't see why you care," Vexen huffed. "Unless this is a bribe of some sort and after last night, I wouldn't put it past Zexion to put you up to this. Now give me back my toy."

"No." Marluxia said sharply, pulling Xigbar off the bed. He looked up at him with an icy glare, and told him to leave. Marluxia ignored the complaints from both Xigbar and Vexen. "Vexen, come with me."

Vexen stood up, stumbled, and fell back onto the vibrating bed helplessly. It didn't occur to his alcohol-addled mind that putting on clothes would be a good idea, nor that Marluxia might be doing him a favour. Sighing, Marluxia found Vexen's pants, tossing them to him. "Come on, put those on. Quickly."

Vexen managed to fumble his way into his pants and stand up, leaning against Marluxia. Marluxia pulled a face at the stench of alcohol on Vexen's breath, but helped him out of the room nonetheless. He would get his free drink later, Vexen needed to be in bed, sleeping off one hell of a hangover.

As Vexen began to sober up, he wondered why Marluxia was doing this. Surely the man couldn't actually care about him? He'd seemed more than eager to leave today, but then, Vexen reasoned that he had unwittingly insulted him. He let Marluxia lead him away.

Marluxia managed to get Vexen into a taxi, but without knowing his address Marluxia ended up with Vexen at his apartment. He lead him to his bedroom, and sat him on the bed.

Vexen looked up at Marluxia. "Are you busy tonight?" he mumbled.

Marluxia glanced at his watch. "It's one in the morning. Ask at a sane hour, and when you don't reek of whiskey."

Vexen should have known that Marluxia wouldn't want to stay the night here. "You should have left me with Xigbar," he said petulantly.

"No way. That guy was scum." Marluxia said, pushing Vexen back on the bed. "Now get some sleep, Vexen. You have a hell of a morning a head of you."

"Wait," Vexen said, confused. "I may be drunk but I don't understand. How is he scum? At least he was affectionate."

"He was taking advantage of you, you dope!" Marluxia snapped, but it was halfheartedly. He threw a blanket over the blond and said goodnight.

"Not that I minded," Vexen retorted. "Before you go, would you get me a glass of water? Please," he added as an afterthought.

Marluxia refrained from informing Vexen of where he was, and slipped out of the room. He returned with the requested glass of water. "Good night, Vex. Sleep well."

Vexen looked up at the nickname. He accepted the glass of water and guzzled it down gratefully, then curled up in a little ball and went to sleep. Smiling a little, Marluxia took the empty glass and slipped out. He stayed up for another hour with a bottle of wine for company, before falling asleep on the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning when Vexen woke up, his head was pounding and he was very confused. He padded out of the room for another glass of water, ended up turned around, and stumbled into the living room eventually, where he saw Marluxia on the couch, sleeping. He sat down next to the couch, grabbed the wine bottle and took a sip. He'd heard somewhere that the cause was the best cure and his brain was too addled at the moment to figure out that that was complete bullshit.

"That stuff's expensive." Marluxia mumbled, before he'd even opened his eyes. "And doesn't cure hang overs." He sat up, pushing back his hair. "Breakfast?"

"Can I have you for breakfast?" Vexen mumbled, resting his head against the couch. He wasn't thinking clearly. "Or maybe an omelet. Where are we? Why did you bring me here?"

"My place. I don't know your address." Marluxia stood, offering a hand to Vexen as he did so. "I can make an omelet. C'mon."

Vexen accepted Marluxia's hand and stood shakily, his name tag jingling as he did. The sound sent a thousand searing needles through Vexen's skull. He put a hand to his collar to silence it. Marluxia smirked to himself as he led Vexen into a spacious kitchen, seating him at the breakfast bar. "What do you want in your omelet? Here-" He ran a dishcloth under the tap, rung it out and offered it to Vexen. "Press it to your forehead."

Vexen did so and thought about the question. "I want... eggs... tomato... cucumber... avocado... steak... and maybe pepper jack and chocolate," he said. "Marluxia... why did you take me to your apartment instead of just leaving me at the club?"

"Cheese and ham it is." Marluxia said quietly as he dug through the fridge for what he needed. As he beat the eggs, he thought over the question. "Well. I couldn't just let you throw away something that you seem so protective over. Not when you were in that state."

"Why not? You hate me."

"I never said that." Marluxia pointed out, not looking up from his cooking. "Never even implied that, Vexen."

Unfortunately, Vexen wasn't experienced enough in normal, healthy relationships to understand that when someone didn't stick around, it didn't automatically imply hatred. He knew that Marluxia had left him twice, and then refused to go away when Vexen had actually wanted him to. He puzzled over this for a moment. On the other hand, Marluxia had taken Vexen home instead of just leaving him at the mercy of a lech, had brought him water that he'd asked for, and was making him breakfast. Were they friends? Enemies? They certainly weren't lovers. Finally, Vexen looked up and said, "I like you, but I still wish you'd left me with him."

"You're only saying that because I didn't." Marluxia replied, putting Vexen's plate down in front of him and starting on his own meal. "It's a shame you had some of that wine. Now I can't give you any painkillers."

"Sure you can," said Vexen dryly, though as a pharmacist, he knew better. "What's wrong with me having a one-night stand, anyway? I should think you wouldn't object to it."

"That is a completely different situation. Outside of business, I avoid one night stands." Marluxia huffed, pulling down a cup and pouring Vexen a glass of water. "Eat your breakfast."

Vexen ate slowly. Truthfully he was ravenous, but still confused. Marluxia was an interesting person, all right. He respected the younger man's right to choose his own career, but something about the way Marluxia acted on and off the job puzzled him. It was like he was two different people, whereas Vexen was just Vexen: Stubborn, hard to get along with, and mostly introverted.

"This would make a lot more sense to me if Zexion had put you up to it," Vexen said, almost to himself. "I didn't get the impression that you cared much for me."

"Zexion put me up to getting you out of there; I could've easily said no, but I didn't and not just because he promised to buy me drinks for a week," Marluxia said, and it was very much the truth, despite what he'd said to Zexion the night before. "I'm not heartless and greedy, despite what you seem to think. I didn't have to bring you here, give you my bed and make you breakfast."

Vexen brooded at his food. Zexion had offered drinks for a week? But that man was a complete cheapskate. What was really going on? He looked up at Marluxia, then nodded his thanks, but kept frowning from puzzlement.

"He can replace that bottle of wine, come to think of it." Marluxia said, thinking aloud as he ate his omelet straight out of the pan.

Vexen gave into his hunger and ate the rest of his omelet, which was pretty good. When he was done, he washed his dish and sat down next to Marluxia. "Tell me more about yourself," he said curiously

"Not much to say." Marluxia admitted as he examined a piece of omelet hanging off his fork. "Live alone, work, throw money around on buying shiny things I don't need and expensive booze." He shrugged. "And I didn't finish high school."

"And you're a wealthy prostitute who doesn't like one-night stands. You're just a walking paradox, aren't you?"

"My work does not define who I am." Marluxia said matter-of-factly, mashing up the rest of his eggs with his fork.

"Then why do something that doesn't suit you? Your job seems so contradictory to your personality." Besides wanting to get to know Marluxia better, Vexen was a little jealous. He'd never been confident enough to pull off sexy outfits- except maybe last night, but then, he'd been hammered out of his mind. Most of his "wild" clothes were gag gifts from his colleagues, who always talked about how uptight Vexen was. Last night had been the first night Vexen had actually worn any of them.

"I like it." Marluxia shrugged. "It's not that much of a contradiction. I'm close with my clients- well, as close as I allow myself to be- I've had some of them for years."

Vexen looked away. Now he felt jealous for an entirely different reason, one he didn't like to admit to himself. _No!_ he scolded himself. _You are not going to fall for this man. He stands completely against everything you were brought up to believe._ He stood up and went over to the bottle, draining the rest of it and curling up on the couch, his head on the armrest. "I should probably go, but I can't find my vest," he said. "I don't want to be a burden."

"You don't have to go," Marluxia said as he went over to the couch, clearing away his empty wine glass and the now-empty wine bottle. "And I don't believe you had a vest when I found you. Stay here, sleep it off. I might have a shirt that'll fit you. Right now though, I'm going to have a shower."

"I wore a vest out," Vexen insisted, following Marluxia. He wondered what the pinket's body looked like naked. He wondered if Marluxia would let Vexen shower with him. "It was leopard-fur, it had buttons, and it only covered my upper torso."

"I didn't see it." Marluxia insisted right back. He wandered in to the bathroom, not really noticing Vexen was following, and stripped off his shirt before flicking on the water.

"But..." said Vexen, following Marluxia into the bathroom. "I liked that vest. It was a gift." Suddenly, thought! He pulled out his cell phone and went to his Facebook, where he was bombarded with notices informing him that he was tagged in several photos. Sure enough, all the photos had Vexen in the silver jeans, vest, and collar. Most of them had him sprawled across Xigbar's lap, drinking heavily, or grinding against a muscular man with Medusa-hair and sideburns.

"Maybe you'll find another one like it." Marluxia tried, tugging off his pants- no need for him to bashful, he'd decided a long time ago.

"I don't even know where it was bought, let alone how to find another one," said Vexen sadly. "I'll just have to go back tonight and see if anyone else has seen it." He stared at Marluxia's body while trying to look like he wasn't. His form was perfect. Beautiful. He had a graceful figure that rivalled any that Vexen had ever seen and Vexen now understood why a man like that would want to become a sexual conquistador. A body like that was just a crime to keep locked up in clothing. Whereas a body like Vexen's, he felt, was a crime to reveal.

Marluxia sighed as he stepped under the running water, running his fingers through his hair and over his face. "Good idea. Hopefully Zexion is there so he can buy me a drink."

Vexen took his pants off and nervously walked into the shower with Marluxia. "Are you planning to come with me, then?" he asked.

"Don't want you to get roaring drunk again, so I guess so." Marluxia replied, glancing at Vexen, but not saying anything about his self-invite.

Vexen wasn't sure what to say to that. Thanks for caring? What good fortune? Hopefully you have better self-control as you'll be the one getting free drinks? He chose to stay silent and keep ogling Marluxia's naked body until science occurred and he had to turn away to hide his blush, among other things.

"You don't have to hide. It's not like I haven't seen it before." Marluxia laughed as he ran soap over his chest and under his arms.

Vexen's response was to blush redder and try to hide even more. He wished a hole would open up in the floor and swallow him. And then he wished to be swallowed by something, or rather someone, else. He shook his head, hoping to clear the thoughts from his mind. This didn't work. "If you mean on me, then I wasn't aware that you looked at me that closely," he said tartly.

"Such a prude." The pinket giggled, running a finger down Vexen's spine.

Vexen flinched away, but he was giggling. "That tickles," he protested.

"It's supposed to." Marluxia laughed and he ran his fingers up Vexen's sides this time.

Vexen turned around, grabbed Marluxia's wrists, and pinned him against the shower wall, still laughing. "Don't tickle me," he complained gently.

"Don't bruise me." Marluxia said, just as gently, wriggling against Vexen's hold.

"I won't," Vexen said, and gave Marluxia a soft kiss on the cheek before releasing him.

"That's it?" Marluxia said, sounding both mocking and disappointed, leaving himself against the wall.

"You don't want me to bruise you," Vexen reminded Marluxia. "What were you expecting?"

"Something a little more than a kiss on the cheek." Marluxia said with a pout.

"Be more specific," said Vexen, leaning against the back wall and letting the warm spray stimulate him.

"But I'm sure you had ideas of your own. I'm not giving you instructions." said Marluxia as he absently soaped his stomach.

Vexen had had ideas of his own. They involved pressing Marluxia against the wall, kissing him fiercely on the mouth, possibly grinding against him, maybe more. His blush, which had faded slightly, now returned with reinforcements as his eyes tracked the soap around Marluxia's stomach.

"Well, are you going to do anything about those thoughts of yours?" Marluxia asked, his head tilted to the side just slightly and a tiny, seductive smirk playing on his lips.

_Don't do it_, a voice warned Vexen. _He's only acting interested because he wants to sleep with you, and once you give in, he'll leave you forever._ Never one to ignore the voices in his head, no matter how asinine their advice was, Vexen was crestfallen. "I can't," he said. "I'm-" Don't apologise for it, the same voice, which sounded uncannily like his mother, warned.

Marluxia seemed to only shrug, stepping under the water to wash away the soap before hoping out of the shower. "Didn't think so."

Vexen sighed and quickly washed himself and his hair, then stepped out of the shower and checked his phone for updates. Yup, his picture was posted all over the internet. There were a couple of links on his wall to YouTube videos of him grinding against the muscular man with the braids and making out with Xigbar. He shook his head. He'd catch hell for this in the office, he was sure.

"It's not you, it's my parents," he murmured to Marluxia. "They conditioned me. I... I can't sleep with you for that reason. Unless I happen to have had upwards of four glasses of hard liquor."

"We'll see about that." Was all Marluxia said, something menacing lurking under his tone as he wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to his bedroom.

Vexen stayed where he was, naked, dripping wet, and still holding his phone. He was darkly ashamed of himself for ruining his chances with Marluxia yet again. A gorgeous man in front of him, supplicating himself... why hadn't Vexen just taken what was offered?

Before vanishing into his bedroom, Marluxia glanced back over his shoulder, smiling. "The offer is still standing, Vexen. Don't forget that."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: DIFFERENT MINDS**

Vexen took a moment to put his pants back on and his phone in them, then followed Marluxia to the bedroom. "Marluxia... I do like you. That's why I have to decline. I—" He wanted to say he didn't want to risk losing Marluxia, but then he was sure the younger would remind him that he never really had him in the first place. "I like you too much," he said instead, silently cursing himself for being so lame.

"And sex would ruin our fragile little relationship and blah blah blah." Marluxia pulled off his towel, using it to dry off his hair as he picked through the chair covered in clean-ish clothing.

Vexen looked at Marluxia at the word "relationship." "Oddly enough, I wasn't aware that we had one of those," he said, "but yes, that's what I was taught. Hold out for true love and don't give in even then because it only ends in being alone again."

"What else would you call it?" Marluxia frowned at Vexen as he tugged on some pants and sniff-tested a shirt. "Whoever taught you that was an idiot."

"My mother did, of course," said Vexen. "And the part of me that listens to her doctrines wonders if you're only interested in sleeping with me out of curiosity, or a desire to deflower me, or something to that effect. If I liked you less, I might have already jumped in bed with you..." Now Vexen became painfully aware that he, not Marluxia, was the paradox.

"Please, I've had more than my fair share of virgins." Marluxia scoffed, pulling on a long-sleeved shirt. "You should never listen to your parents. They're not the good influence everyone tries to say they are."

Vexen pressed his fingers to his temple as he watched Marluxia get dressed. _You shouldn't get involved with someone so promiscuous,_ said his mother's voice in his head. He looked away again. "People like them were the only ones I knew until I met Zexion," he said, "and I didn't really get to know him that well."

Marluxia moved over to Vexen, staring hard up into his eyes. "And now there's me," he said, smiling a little. "And I'm giving you the chance to get to know me better than anyone else before."

Vexen was slightly touched. "I thank you for that," he said carefully, "but... you won't like me when you get to know me. Most people don't even like me when they first meet me."

"I think that's for me to decide, don't you agree? And in case you haven't noticed, I kinda go against the grain of things." Marluxia stepped away again, over to his dresser to start picking a comb through his hair.

"You're the single most fascinating person I've ever met," said Vexen. He crossed over to where Marluxia stood and kissed his other cheek gently. "What do you want to do for the rest of the day? We have at least three hours until the bar opens."

"You won't like my suggestions." Marluxia smiled, rubbing his cheek absently. "So you think of something."

"Give me some credit," said Vexen. "I spend all my time thinking. That's what got me into this mess in the first place. I'd like to take a break."

"Well..." Marluxia pursed his lips in thought. "I usually just go for walks during the day. Sometimes I take a camera with me." He shrugged. "It'd be a waste of a day for you, I'm sure."

"No more than going to the mall and window-shopping, I'm sure," said Vexen, "which was what I usually do when I don't want to think."

"Hey, with three hours to spare we can do both." Marluxia grinned. "I need some new clothes, anyways, so maybe we can do some actual shopping."

Vexen offered a shy smile. "Maybe you can help me pick out a new vest in case no one at the club has seen the one I lost?"

"Of course." Marluxia nodded to himself a little, wandering out of his bedroom and into the living room. There was a cabinet in one corner dedicated to holding his cameras. Today, he decided on using his old Polaroid.

"Speaking of cameras," said Vexen, "there are pictures and videos of me last night at the club on Facebook and a couple links to ones on YouTube. They're... they'll give my boss the wrong idea. How do I get rid of them if I didn't upload them?"

To test that the camera was still running smoothly, Marluxia took a quick snap of Vexen, plucking the photo from the camera and flicking it a couple of times. "I don't know, to be honest. I'm not huge on computers and most things digital. I'm a film person."

Oh, well. It didn't hurt to ask. "Then my colleagues get to tease me about getting frisky with one man and almost sleeping with another," he sighed. "I suppose it's almost karmic."

"Well, it certainly taught you a lesson, didn't it?" Marluxia asked. He slipped the photo into his back pocket. "Ready to go?"

Vexen blushed dark red and then picked out a shirt at random and put it on. "I am now," he said.

"Let's go." Marluxia smiled, grabbed his keys off the coffee table and headed for the front door.

Vexen followed him. "Where should we go first?" he asked.

"Well, if we go through the gardens we can get to the mall that way. Two birds, one stone." Marluxia suggested.

Vexen nodded. He liked the gardens. "I'll try not to make it snow this time," he said wryly

"Snow would make for some nice photos." Marluxia laughed, looping his arm through Vexen's like he always did.

This time, Vexen let him, putting aside his discomfort and smiling. He got a very familiar feeling in his pants region and then an uncomfortable thought that he was letting Marluxia get too close, but he attempted to push it away. "It would," he said, trying to focus on the conversation, "but I doubt the flowers would like it much."

"And who said my subject would be the flowers?" Marluxia grinned, nudging Vexen in the ribs, gently.

Vexen stopped in his tracks. "But— flowers would make excellent subjects. They always photograph well. Unless you wanted me to take pictures of you?"

Marluxia untangled himself from Vexen, taking a few steps away from him before he brought up his camera and snapped another shot of Vexen. He waved the Polaroid in front of the blond. "You make a nice subject."

Vexen snatched the photo. "I do not," he protested.

Marluxia took another, laughing as he pranced away so Vexen couldn't snatch it. "You do~."

Vexen chased Marluxia. "I do not," he repeated. He was too pasty, too skinny, all angles, with eyes that seemed almost too large for his face. "Let's take a picture of you, then," he said.

Marluxia held the camera out at arm's length, the photo in the other. "Go on, then."

Vexen took both, then held the camera up and snapped a picture of Marluxia, who looked fantastic even mussed from exercise.

Marluxia snatched his photo, dancing away again. "Awful," he declared, tossing the photo away.

"Liar," said Vexen. "You always look good."

"Boring," Marluxia corrected, nodding. "Gimme my camera back."

Vexen snapped another picture before complying, holding this one and studying it. "You look perfect," he said. "Your hair's wind-tossed, your cheeks are flushed, and you look alive. Adorable. Beautiful. I'm keeping this one."

"I'm sick of my face, though," Marluxia said as he took another photo of Vexen. "You're interesting. Angular. Slender. You never look the same in a photo."

Vexen blinked. "What do you mean I never look the same?" he asked, handing Marluxia back the other two photos of him.

"You're the same person in every photo, but it's like with each one I'm peeling back a layer. Seeing more to you." He paused for dramatic effect and then burst out laughing.

"I suppose that makes me like an onion," Vexen replied. "But I still can't see what you mean. I'm just me. Just Vexen."

"You're so much more than Just Vexen." Marluxia grinned. He came up to Vexen, standing on his tiptoes so that their noses touched, then he held the camera out to the side and snapped them, standing like that.

"And you're anything but boring," Vexen said, stealing a quick peck. "And I happen to find your face most appealing."

Marluxia smiled again, stealing a kiss for himself. "Thank you."

The next thing Vexen knew, he found his mouth crashing into Marluxia's, a skeletal hand in the younger's pink hair, the other arm snaking around his waist and pulling him close. It was absolute impulse, completely without thought, and it was... scary. Enjoyable, but scary. He struggled to pull back. Marluxia happily accepted the kiss, but didn't chase when Vexen pulled back. He simply licked his lips, looped his arm through the blond's, and started walking again. Vexen tried in vain to think of something to say. The irritating voice in his head, by contrast, wouldn't shut up about what a stupid idea that was and how Vexen ought to know better. Vexen tensed and pulled his arm away, hugging himself. "I'm...sorry," he said.

"For what?" Marluxia asked, almost absently as he looked around, randomly snapping photos as they walked. "It was just a kiss."

Vexen withdrew even further into his shell at that. He shouldn't have been surprised. He knew he took expressions of affection far more seriously than Marluxia did. But the annoying voice was smugly stating that it had told Vexen so and maybe Vexen should stop rebelling and listen once in a while so he wouldn't end up shocked and hurting when someone didn't reciprocate his exact feelings. Trying to ignore it, Vexen attempted a smile, but the temperature dropped noticeably. Feeling the air go cool, Marluxia stepped over to Vexen, cupping one thin cheek in his hand and gently pecking Vexen's lips. "Stop that, Vexen. Nothing to be upset about."

Vexen pulled away sharply, panicking. "L-let's just shop," he said. "I'm not upset with you."

Marluxia pulled a sour face. "Don't be like that." he said softly.

"Like what, like me? I'm sorry if I can't be as carefree as you are, Marluxia, but the fact remains that I am not like you. I am naturally withdrawn and your forward behaviour and general attitude towards life are foreign to me," was what Vexen wanted to say. Instead, he just choked back tears, resulting in another drop. He hated himself for doing this, but he didn't know how to stop.

Marluxia kissed him again, although he wasn't sure what he was trying to accomplish by doing so. "Smile. We were having fun before."

This caused Vexen to completely freak out. As soon as the first flakes fell, Vexen sighed. So much for his promise not to make it snow again. He willed the snow to stop, which perversely made it snow harder, which caused Vexen to cry out in frustration. Marluxia took as many photos as he could before trying to calm Vexen down. Although he wasn't very good at calming people down, mostly he said clichéd lines that everyone said when someone was upset. It did cheer Vexen up, but weirdly. He started crying, stopping the snow, and then laughed through his tears and told Marluxia that trying to sound like everyone else didn't suit him. Marluxia was eventually laughing with him. "I know. But I'm used to winding people up, not calming them down."

Vexen wiped his eyes, sniffling. "I can see that," he said. "But you shouldn't worry about ... about calming me down. I-I'm insane and— and you're the first person I've really opened up to. Don't stress yourself out on my account."

"Oh, I wasn't stressing, just cold." Marluxia grinned, reaching to brush strands of blond from Vexen's face.

Vexen jerked away reflexively. "Fair enough," he conceded, "but did you at least get some good pictures out of it?"

"Yes." Marluxia smiled, nudging Vexen. "Come on. I need coffee."

Vexen pulled further away. He was secretly starting to like Marluxia's attempts at affection, but rather than making him more comfortable with being touched, it just pushed him back into his shell. This was too dangerous, the voice told him. He's getting too close.

Marluxia sighed loudly, but said nothing as he walked on. It appeared that he was at square one again with Vexen.


End file.
